Ok, some of you will know that I work as a teacher here in Australia. Some will also know that for the past 18 years I have been a 'fixed term' or contract teacher. This meant that from year to year, or even from semester to semester I wasn't guarrenteed a job at all, or at which school I would be posted to by the central Education Dept. Staffing officers. This meant for example that I was forced out of my nice school that I'd been at for 5 years, and was posted to a shit-hole school 70 mins drive away in 2006, before I managed to get posted back here to Como Sec College again. At any stage the edu dept could say that 'sorry, we haven't any job for you at the moment so back onto relief/supply/substitute teaching (call it what you will) for you until we get back to you...' lovely huh!!?
Well - no more!!!!
Because today as I got to work just now I was called into the Principal's office (eek!! - not a good way to start a day normally...) and presented with a form to sign which basically says that I am now a PERMANENT status teacher and so for the first time since I began teaching I am GUARRENTEED a job for next year!!! - somewhere...
The catch is that it doesn't guarrentee me a job at THIS school where I am now. That is still open to negotiation/fiddling depending on what the guy who I'm currently replacing as a fixed term position decides on what to do. (he's currently seconded to the education dept as an 'expert educator' - an admin job in other words)
Of course it helps that there is a desperate shortage of teachers here in Western Australia and they're probably scared that I was going to chuck it all in because they wouldn't give me the job security - they'd be right too as I have certainly considered the idea over the past 2 years or so.
but what the hell... at least I *know* I'll be somewhere now forever more!
cheers
Sean
